


I Promise

by mocking_words



Series: 12 Days of Romanogers (Christmas 2016) [8]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-11 00:25:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8945269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mocking_words/pseuds/mocking_words
Summary: Steve gets injured on a mission gone awry but Natasha and James are there to send him some Christmas cheer.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fightingangels2k](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fightingangels2k/gifts).



> Pretty angsty at the beginning but all fluff at the end!  
> Solnyshko - sun  
> P/S: I used a swear word one time.

It had been radio silence moments before the bomb went off. She had heard it long before she'd seen the building engulfed in flames and the chill that went straight down her spine was paralysing. Steve had been in the building, retrieving the stolen artefact. The coms filled with static and she ripped it out of her ear. The adrenaline pounded in her veins as she sprinted towards the building, ignited with flames that reached twice her height.

A tremor passed through her as she surveyed the wreckage, trying to figure out what to do next as she sent a distress signal to the other Avengers. A ragged cough caught her attention and she made her way towards the source, silently praying that whoever it was was still hanging in there. She could’ve sworn her heart stopped when she recognised the blue uniform. Was he still breathing? She couldn’t tell, but there he was; lying underneath a bloodied body as he struggled to move.

“Steve!”

He fought to respond with his words as she kicked the body off him, pushing the cowl off his head,

“Get it together, Rogers. Help is on the way.”

She sank to her knees as she assessed the damage. He was still breathing, but it was slow, painful. Her eyes wandered towards his chest and her hands shook as she applied pressure to the gaping wound on his sternum, “You’re going to be okay, don’t move.”

He coughed in response, the blood coating her fingers. She kept her hands in place, trying to stop the blood flow and her hands from shaking, "Steve, stay… Stay with me, okay?"

Her voice sounded far away and desperate, even to her own ears. The lump in her throat was followed by the blurriness as the tears clouded her vision, "Fuck, Steve. Just… Don't leave me. I can't do this without you, please."

Holding back her tears, she kept it together until Clint arrived with backup.

* * *

Steve had been rushed to surgery the moment they arrived back in New York and she had sat in the waiting room, staring blankly at the white-washed walls. The team had tried to get her in for a medical assessment before but she had insisted she was fine. They would have to pry her from Steve’s side if they wanted her to leave. She couldn’t leave him, not when she didn’t know whether he would make it through. He might’ve been Captain America, but he was still only human. What if he decided it was time to say goodbye? Her heart clenched as the thought passed through.

He’s going to be okay.

Natasha breathed, trying to keep her emotions in check. He was going to be okay.

Tony arrived moments later, running through the hall.

“What happened?” He asked, slightly breathlessly.

She shook her head, burying her face in her hands, “We were in Mexico retrieving a stolen artefact and a bomb went off while he was in there. I… I missed the signs, it was my fault.”

He took a seat beside her and pulled her in for a hug, “He’s going to be just fine, Nat. Heck, he’s the same person who told us to walk it off if we died. It's not your fault.”

She kept quiet, clutching onto his shirt. She was afraid that if she said anything; she would tear up. She was the Black Widow, famed for her composure and skills, but just then; she felt more like the little girl in the Red Room who had just been handed a gun and asked to take her first shot.

She was scared out of her mind.

“Where’s James?” She asked when Tony let her go. “Pepper’s with him,” he replied, standing up, “Do you want me to get her to bring him over?”

She shook her head, “I can’t let him see this.”

James had been their little miracle, a blessing so big for such a small boy. She couldn’t let him see this, not when his father was in surgery and his mother looked like a mess.

“Go home and get cleaned up, Nat,” Tony gestured, “I’ll keep an eye on him.”

He must’ve seen the hesitation in her eyes because he nudged her gently. “Go,” he repeated in a soft voice, “I’ll call you.”

Drawing in a breath, she got up and put a hand on his shoulder, “Thank you, Tony.”

“He’s every part as important to me as he is to you. We’re Avengers remember? We’ve got each other’s backs. I’ll get Thor and Banner to hunt down that psychotic bomber and whoop his ass.”

She half-smiled as she turned to walk away, “Thanks.”

* * *

Natasha unlocked the door to their house quietly. It was empty, James being with Pepper, and she felt the overwhelming feeling of loneliness wash over her. This wasn’t how it was meant to be. Steve should’ve been here, coming home with her to greet James, not in an ICU bed fighting for his life. She felt her composure crumble as she dropped her keys on the coffee table and headed towards the shower.

The hot water scalded her skin, but it felt like a relief to her aching muscles. She had missed the signs; she should’ve been more vigilant and just maybe, this wouldn’t have happened. At least, that was what she felt but part of her knew there was nothing she could’ve done at the moment. They had taken all the precautions, they had planned the thing through and through; nobody could've guessed.

She had always known that this life, the life she and Steve had built so carefully, was on a shaky foundation. They didn’t have normal jobs like everyone else and she would be lying if she hadn’t wished once or twice that they were just normal; in a world where he didn’t have to be Captain America and she didn’t have to be Black Widow. But, at the end of the day, it was a dangerous world and someone had to protect it. They all had responsibilities they had to carry and she knew, no matter how badly she wanted to leave, no matter how many times the thought would ever run through her mind; she would never be able to bring herself to betray her family.

* * *

Steve was in stable condition by the time the next day rolled around and when he finally got around to opening his eyes, she was a mess.

“Nat,” he croaked. His voice felt like a bittersweet reminder of what she had almost lost and the emotion flooded through her so violently she felt her heart physically ache at the sound of him. He reached his hand out, gesturing for her to come closer. She took his hand and practically cuddled up next to him, tucking herself under his arm, “I thought I lost you.”

“Not a chance,” Steve murmured softly, rubbing circles on her arm with his thumb, “You’re okay, Nat. We’re okay.”

They stayed like that for a long time until she could stop the tears from flowing. Reality was beginning to sink in; he was still here with her. She hadn’t lost him.

“Where’s James?” he asked quietly, sounding sleepy. “He’s spending time with Tony and Pepper today,” she replied, reaching up to push away the lock of hair in his face, “Do you want me to bring him over tomorrow?”

“It’s better if he doesn’t see me like this,” he said, shaking his head.

“He misses you, you know.”

“I miss him too. God, the only thing I could think about when that bomb went off was that I couldn’t die; not when James was waiting for us to come home.”

She choked back the tears that were beginning to form again, “I thought I lost you out there.”

“Can’t get rid of me that easily,” he smiled, leaving a kiss on the top of her head. She laced their fingers together as he hummed his favourite songs to her. She needed it; the physical contact. She needed reassurance he was physically there and this wasn't just some messed up dream she was having.

“Get some rest, Rogers. The serum might be working its magic and you might be tough but even super-soldiers need to sleep,” she murmured softly.

“Stay with me?” he asked, eyes closed and his voice fading.

“Wouldn’t dream of leaving you,” she replied, holding his hand as she fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Natasha woke up the next morning still cuddled up next to him. It was impossible to describe how much she had missed waking up to his face for the past few mornings. She rubbed her thumb over a bruise, tracing slowly down towards his jaw. The scars were already starting to fade. Slowly, she crawled out and stretched her limbs. They were stiff from being in the same position over so many hours. Steve didn’t stir so she took the opportunity to slip out quietly, shutting the sliding doors behind her.

She shut the sliding door behind her and leant against it, letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. He was okay. James still had a father and she still had him.

* * *

It was going to be Christmas in several days and while Steve wanted to get out to celebrate the holidays at home, the doctors didn’t want to risk it. He was just starting to show signs of improvement and they didn’t want to cause his body any further stress. Steve had been clear that he wanted out but with a little persuation, he had given up.

“Mummy, why can't daddy come home for Christmas?” James asked, cocking his head at her.

She got down to his level and ran a hand through his short, blond hair, “Daddy’s just starting to get better baby, so the doctors want to keep an eye on him.”

He gave her a pouty face and she pulled him in for a hug, “Daddy wants to be home too but you want him to get better don’t you?”

James nuzzled his face deeper into the crook of her neck and nodded his head, “But mummy, won’t daddy be lonely?”

She knew how much James missed his dad because she missed him too, more than words could possibly describe; she missed having home around at home. "You're right _solnyshko_ , he would be lonely. Why don’t we surprise him at the hospital then?”

* * *

She knew how dreary being stuck in a hospital could be, so she decided that they could decorate Steve's room. It would be a change of scenery for him; anything besides those sterilised white walls would be great.

"Alright, what colour tinsel should we go with?" Natasha asked as she held two different coloured ones in both hands. They had popped by the supermarket to pick up some decorations before heading over to the hospital, "Are we going to go for blue or purple?"

"Uhm," James said, his eyebrows furrowed in thought, "Blue! Because it's the same colour as daddy's shield!"

"Alright, we'll go with blue then," she replied, tossing the tinsel into the trolley in front of her.

"Should we get some flowers too, mummy?" James asked, tugging at the hem of her jacket to catch her attention.

"Yeah? What kind of flowers you thinking about getting?" She asked, ruffling his hair.

"Can we get him pink roses? Because I think that means we love him!" James grinned, pointing towards the pink roses that caught his eye further down the aisle. She chuckled, her boy was so sweet it honestly melted her heart. He was so thoughtful and honest when it came to his actions, "Does it? I'd reckon so. Come on then, lets go pick up some flowers then."

They picked up the bouquet and a few other bits and pieces before driving towards the hospital. Decorating it wasn't as easy as it looked because they had to do it as quietly as possible. Steve had been asleep when they got there, healing his wounds used up a lot of energy and as a result he slept through most of the days, which made it a little bit easier to keep it a surprise. By the time he opened his eyes though, they were done.

"Nat?" He asked, his eyes adjusting to the light. She smiled when she saw those blue eyes, "Surprise, soldier."

His smile grew when he saw James, "Hey, buddy."

James grinned, clambering up onto the bed and throwing his small arms around Steve, "I missed you, daddy!"

"I missed you too, James. Have you been a good boy for your mummy?" He asked, holding him close. Natasha sat down beside them and smiled.

James nodded, "Yeah! Do you like your room, daddy? We decorated it so it'd be like you're at home with us!"

"That's a wonderful thing for you to think of," Steve praised, turning towards Natasha, "Thank you, both of you, very much."

Natasha grinned, leaning over to give him a kiss, "I'm glad you like it. We can't wait for you to come home."

"Won't be long, I promise," he said, reaching over to squeeze her hand, "I'll be home for Christmas."

"You'd better be," she smirked, "Otherwise we're keeping your presents, right James?"

James giggled, "Yeah daddy!"

Steve chuckled, ruffling James' hair, "Okay, I pinky promise." He held out his pinkie for James to promise and then to Natasha, a silly grin on his face.

"Pinky promise you'll be home?" She smiled softly, wrapping her pinkie around his.

"I promise," he said, pulling her in for a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave kudos and comments if you liked it x


End file.
